This week we have some bad news and some good news.

First the Bad News: There are five basic reasons why customers don’t buy.
Now the Good News: Knowing these five reasons will help you sell more.

Once you know these reasons, you can modify your sales strategy in order to close the sale.

• The prospect truly can’t afford you—When this is true, it’s likely that you haven’t properly qualified the buyer. It isn’t enough to be less expensive than the competition, and it isn’t enough to be able to show cost-justification and relative value. The buyer must be qualified.
   
• You are presenting the wrong solution—If your product or service doesn’t really fill an acknowledged need, it’s a time-wasting effort. Again, qualify your customer.
   
• Lack of trust—If the prospect does not trust your company, they will never buy. Bridge this credibility chasm by presenting them with references, third-party evidence and/or testimonials. It often takes time to develop trust, but once established, trust offers a great foundation for a long-term selling relationship.
   
• The prospect doesn’t know you—Establishing a positive personal relationship with customers is paramount. If you can’t create a relationship that gets your prospect to like you (or your company), then you are doomed to failure. The buyer has to care about you and he has to believe that you care about him.
   
• Failure to understand company politics—It’s not always enough to target the “buying decision maker” at a prospect company, because this person may not always be the top dog. When a salesman makes a deal with the number one decision-maker in a company, but that person has a very egocentric, number two decision-maker at his side, you lose. Know the politics of your prospect’s company.